[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/250px-Pilotwings_logo_1167.png]][[caption-width-right:250:Soaring since 1990.]]

->'''Join The Flight Club Now!'''->''Do you ever dream of flying? The Flight Club offers a variety of aerial sports to thrill and challenge you. Dare to take the first step and earn your license.'' ->--The introductory screen from the first game of the series.

''Pilotwings'' is a flight simulator franchise created by Creator/{{Nintendo}} for the Super NES, Nintendo 64 and Nintendo 3DS. The game was developed by Nintendo's Entertainment Analysis and Development division (led by Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto), and was first released in 1990 in Japan and 1991 in the United States. The European release followed in 1992.

The games feature several training missions and lessons that players must complete in order to earn pilot licenses, using several different vehicles (including a plane, hang glider, rocket belt, as well as skydiving and other secret unlockable vehicles). Players are graded based on a number of different factors, including checkpoints cleared, accuracy, time spent and completion of required (or additional) tasks. Some missions also have bonus stages that can be cleared for extra points.

''Pilotwings'' was well-received upon its release due to its overall graphical presentation and gameplay style. In 1996, ''[[SuperTitle64Advance Pilotwings 64]]'' was released as a launch title for the Nintendo 64, featuring sharper graphics, more areas to explore and a variety of bonus games. In 2011, Nintendo also released ''Pilotwings Resort'' for the handheld Nintendo 3DS.

Interestingly, all three games in the series have been developed by separate companies. As mentioned before, Nintendo EAD made the first game. Creator/ParadigmEntertainment, who already made video simulation, helped with ''64''. Monster Games, who specializes in racing games, lent a hand with ''Resort''.----!!The series provides examples of:* AnimeHair: Lark and Goose. Lark merely has some extremely messy bangs under his [[NiceHat hat]]/helmet, whereas Goose hides tall, gravity-defying hair [[CompressedHair under his helmet]].* BadassMustache: Hawk from ''64''. Ditto for Meca Hawk.* BareYourMidriff: Ibis and Robin both feature this in their civilian attire.* BoobsOfSteel: In a sense, [[http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/original/1019335110-00.jpg Robin.]] As the heavy class female, she is accordingly stacked.* BraggingRightsReward: The Birdman outfit in ''64'', which is only available at the very end of the game and allows you to travel around without crashing or needing to use fuel.** In ''Wii Sports Resort'', you got a house built in your honor for collecting all the "i" rings. In ''Pilotwings Resort'', you get a whole castle to yourself if you collect them all. * BruiserWithASoftCenter: Implied with Hawk, the intimidating-looking heavyweight pilot from ''64'' who the game manual describes as a bit of a scaredy-cat. * ButThouMust: In the original game, when Big Al briefs you for the helicopter missions, he gives you the option to say no, but if you do he'll just insult you until you say yes.-->'''Big Al:''' I forgot, chickens cannot fly!* [[CardCarryingVillain Card-Carrying Villains]]: E.V.I.L.* CollectionSidequest: The Birdman stars in ''64''. ** The free flight mode in ''Resort'' includes this. "i" rings, balloons, rings, and trophies are scattered throughout Wuhu Island.* CharacterSelectForcing: Present, but only lightly {{enforced|Trope}}. In ''64'', each class of pilot works best with a specific vehicle (Light = Rocket Belt, Medium = Hang Glider, Heavy = Gyrocopter). While it's not impossible to do well by, say, placing Lark (the lightweight male pilot) in a Gyrocopter, matching up the right character with the right vehicle ''does'' make it a fair bit easier.* CheerfulChild: Both Lark and Kiwi, but more so Kiwi.* ContinuityNod: Your reward for three-starring every mission in ''Resort'' is [[spoiler: Meca Hawk making a surprise reappearance. He can be found circling Wedge Island, with a "i" ring above him. His facts state he's mellowed out and isn't bent for destruction. He even screams if you crash into him!]]* CoolShades[=/=]SunglassesAtNight: Goose, the mediumweight male pilot in ''64'', and Big Al in the original.* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: One failure scene with Lance has him saying "Land on the land".* {{Eagleland}}: Goose and Robin from ''64'' are very American in their designs, from their blond hair to the predominant use of red, white, and blue colors on their casual attire (this is combined with stars and stripes for their flight suits).* EasterEgg: ** See RushmoreRefacement below.** If you're flying at night in ''Resort'', someone will be playing ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros'' in the cabins on Wuhu Island.* EvilKnockoff: [[RobotMe Meca Hawk]] to Hawk. [[spoiler: No longer evil after he [[HeelFaceTurn chills out]].]]* {{Expy}}: Lark is basically Nester, the comic mascot of ''Nintendo Power'' magazine.* FeaturelessProtagonist: The player character in the original... up until the end credits. Dark hair, male, looks to be in his 20's, with about as much Japanese as Big Al. ** Averted in the later games. ''64'' has six individual people you can play as. ''Resort'' features a Mii of the player's choice.* FictionalCountry: The Little States island is a miniature, but [[SceneryPorn very convincing replica]] of UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates.* FiveManBand:** TheHero: The player** TheLancer: Lance** TheSmartGuy: Tony** TheBigGuy: Big Al (duh)** TheChick: Shirley* FunWithAcronyms: The E.V.I.L. Syndicate.* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Robin's name in the Japanese version of ''64'' is "Hooter." Localizers apparently thought the joke wasn't too funny.* TheGhost: The MadScientist responsible for Meca Hawk's creation.* HaveANiceDeath: ** The many snarky comments by the trainers upon failing an event.** You're also often treated to your character screaming as they crash out of control.* HollywoodDarkness: Both played with and averted in the original. Area 7 takes place at dusk, but the visibility is still clear. Area 8 and the final helicopter mission, by contrast, are in near-pitch darkness.* HumanCannonball: In ''64''.* HumongousMecha: ''64'' had a mission where you fought a giant robot version of Hawk, named Meca Hawk. [[spoiler:As mentioned above, he'll come to Wuhu Island after beating the game. Since he's chilled out, he won't fight you this time.]]* ImpactSilhouette: Your character will leave a human-shaped silhouette in the ground if you go skydiving without opening your parachute in the original game.* ItsUpToYou: When your instructors are kidnapped by E.V.I.L., Al loads you into a helicopter to rescue them solo.* LargeAndInCharge: Big Al.* LonelyPianoPiece: The "Event Failed" music, which is a DarkReprise of the "Event Clear" music.* MsFanservice: Robin from ''64'', who doubles as ForeignFanservice. She's designed with an American motif in mind ([[PhenotypeStereotype blond-haired, blue-eyed babe]]; primarily red, white, and blue colors and a purposefully placed star on her left breast). She's [[ImpossibleHourglassFigure wasp-waisted, very buxom, and has the hips to match]]. Her bio in the game manual shows her giving a flirty wink and selecting Robin as your pilot elicits from her a very sensual-sounding "Ohhhh yeah!"* MusicalNod: The hang gliding music in ''Pilotwings Resort'' contains snippets of its counterpart from ''Pilotwings 64''.* NintendoHard: Particularly the chopper missions.* NoNameGiven: The character in the original. Also, the flight instructor in ''Resort''.* NonStandardGameOver: The original has a milder example: but get shot in the helicopter levels, and the game ends abruptly as you crash to your doom. Big Al doesn't even say anything, unlike the other levels.* NotSoStoic: Al is moved to tears if you manage to impress him. Does it happen ''that'' rarely?* OneHitPointWonder: Get hit once in the helicopter stages in the original and your helicopter crashes, abruptly ending the mission and game.* OpaqueLenses: Big Al glares at you from behind aviator sunglasses.* PassThroughTheRings: One of the oldest examples of the trope; the original game was one of the (if not ''the'') first video games to use this type of system.* RemixedLevel: After completing all five missions, you're paraded through them again. The weather conditions have changed, and the difficulty is ramped up.* RushmoreRefacement: In ''Pilotwings 64'', one level allows you to shoot a rockface of [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]] carved into the side of Mount Rushmore, which changes it into [[VideoGame/WarioLand Wa]][[VideoGame/WarioWare rio]]'s face. Crashing into also yields the same result, and doing so for a second time would change the visage back to that of Mario's.* SceneryPorn: Half the fun of the entire franchise is cruising around looking at the backgrounds and islands.* ShoutOut: Crescent Island in ''64'' is obviously modeled after C-Island from ''VideoGame/StarTropics''.* SpearCounterpart[=/=]DistaffCounterpart: The cast of ''64'' could be considered as such.* SpiritualSequel: ''Pilotwings Resort'' seems to be one for ''VideoGame/WiiSportsResort'', oddly enough. (Specifically, it's mostly based on the Island Flyover mode from that game. In particular Free Flight mode is pretty much identical, just with more vehicles allowed.)* StalkedByTheBell: Most missions have a bonus for finishing by a specific time.* StatuesqueStunner: Ibis is tall and lanky, just like her male counterpart Goose.* TechDemoGame: The entire franchise could be considered an example of this. The original game was mostly used to demonstrate the Mode 7 capabilities of the Super NES, and was one of the first games to be released for the console, while ''Pilotwings 64'' was one of the launch titles for the Nintendo 64. ''Pilotwings Resort'' is also a launch title, carrying on in the tradition of the franchise.* ThemeNaming: All the pilots in ''64'' are named after birds. In order: Lark, Kiwi, Goose, Ibis, Hawk, and Robin.* ThirdIs3D: ''Resort'' is the third game in the series, and is indeed totally 3D. * TimedMission: Every mission must be completed within a certain time limit in order to get the best score/move on to the next stage.* UnexpectedGameplayChange: The original game throws this curveball midway through; it starts out with simple training exercises on various aircraft, then turns into an action game where you have to avoid anti-aircraft fire in a helicopter to rescue your instructors.* VectorGame: A rasterized depiction of vector graphics is used in the original game on the apparatus selection screen.* VideoGameCrueltyPotential:** In the original game, neglecting to open your parachute in the skydiving levels leaves a person-shaped hole in the ground. In addition, the plane and the rocketbelt both explode when crashed.** One of the most entertaining and hilarious things to do in Pilotwings 64 is to ''intentionally miss'' when playing the Cannonball event. Shoot your poor character into a plume of fire and then watch them go into their doom as a smoking, blackened torch!* WalkOnWater: Jumble Hopper is the only mode in ''64'' where hitting the water causes you to stand on it instead of [[SuperDrowningSKills drowning to your doom]]. However, you'll take a point penalty for doing so.----